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My Drain Is Gurgling—What Does It Mean?

So you are at the sink after dinner, rinsing dishes, when you hear it—a weird glug-glug from the drain. At first, you shrug it off. But then it happens again when you flush the toilet or turn on the shower. After a while, you cannot help but wonder: what’s going on with my plumbing?

At 2 Sons Plumbing Seattle, we have been called out to plenty of homes where the first sign of trouble was nothing more than an odd gurgle.

Why Drains Gurgle in the First Place

That bubbling sound is not random—it means air is getting pulled through the pipes where it doesn’t belong. And usually, there are two main reasons:
A partial clog – Food scraps, grease, hair, or soap can slow the water down, creating suction that pulls air and makes noise.
A blocked vent – Plumbing vents on your roof let air move freely through your system. If one gets clogged by leaves, dirt, or even a bird’s nest, your drains start to “talk back” with gurgling sounds.

It might sound small, but think of it as an early warning before things really back up.

A Couple of Things You Can Try

If the water’s still draining but the noise is bugging you, there are a few safe steps to test out:

Check your roof vent – Carefully see if anything’s blocking it. Even a handful of leaves can make a difference.
Try an enzyme cleaner – Pour it in at night and let it sit. These cleaners break down buildup gently, without the harsh chemicals that can hurt your pipes.

If that does not quiet things down, the clog is probably deeper than you can reach.

Signs It’s More Than a Minor Nuisance

Sometimes gurgling is just the start of a bigger problem. Call a plumber if you notice:

A sewer smell inside the house – That is a sign of vent or trap trouble and should never be ignored.
More than one drain making noise – This usually points to a main line issue, not just one sink.
Drains that slow down or clog often – Your system may already be backing up.

What It Typically Costs in Seattle

Most gurgling drain issues do not require major construction to fix. On average, you are looking at:

Snaking or clearing a line: $250–$600
Vent or trap repairs: Varies depending on location and access

The sooner you act, the simpler (and cheaper) it usually is.

Quiet Drains, Peace of Mind

A gurgling drain might not feel like an emergency right now, but it usually means trouble is starting. Best not to wait until it turns into a backup. Call 2 Sons Plumbing Seattle at (206) 487-1757. We’ll come out, check it over, and tell you what’s going on.

Could be a clog. Could be the vent. Either way, we will sort it out and get things running normally again. The goal is simple—get your drains working the way they should.

2 Sons Plumbing, Electrical, Heating & Air

4.9

Based on 3327 reviews

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Victor Garcia

20:12 23 Oct 25

Dave and David came and cleared out a huge clog in my kitchen sink (both sides) that has been plaguing us for a while as well a ton of glass shards that got into the drain when our glass fridge shelf broke. Dave walked us through each step of the process and explained everything which was excellent. He also gave us advice about galvanized piping replacement. They even gave us a few free parts for the sink drain that had eroded away and didn’t charge extra for it!! All around 5 star service!!!

Victor Garcia

20:12 23 Oct 25

Steve P

20:40 21 Oct 25

Fantastic service and communication. Local company. Solved my clogged basement laundry utility sink. Dave and David were courteous, informative, professional and easy to engage with. Scheduling was easy (they came the next day) and they arrived within the expected time window. Transparent pricing and i could also apply a coupon. I will use them again.

Steve P

20:40 21 Oct 25

Ashton Wylde

05:46 21 Oct 25

Great service and Dave their plumber is the best. We have an odd house with even odder plumbing. The pipes are a mess of grandfathered-in open air nonsense, when our pump started making some noises (and a little leaking) after some DIY heat tape adventures (getting ready for colder weather), we were worried that we would need a massive repair but Dave came and looked at it and immediately realized we had unplugged the float plug from the pump plug which was 90% of the problem and the leak just need a little tightening of a flex joint. The company was quick and didn't charge for an estimate or in this case a quick "thats not plugged in right". The experience and the overall professionalism has convinced me that when I do finally need that big repair job, I'll call these guys.

Ashton Wylde

05:46 21 Oct 25

Spencer Charles

05:07 20 Oct 25

Booking an appointment was extremely easy, and we were able to get one just the next day. Communication was excellent with timely reminders and a call before our appointment. Kerry did a fantastic job both advising us and effectively resolving our issue.

Spencer Charles

05:07 20 Oct 25

LuAnn Mitchell

02:38 14 Oct 25

I have all good things to say about 2 Sons Plumbing. My first experience was a few years ago and the whole process went very smoothly. Making the appointment was easy and quick, the repair was done with no problem and I thought the price was fair. Recently, Dave from 2 Sons came out to look at several plumbing problems I was having and, within a matter of minutes, all of the problems were diagnosed. Dave gave me options and estimates all before he left my house. I haven’t had the work done yet but appreciate the information and the prices seemed fair to me. Dave was on time, professional and very knowledgeable. 2 Sons are my go to Plumbers.

LuAnn Mitchell

02:38 14 Oct 25

Kayla Huitt

16:58 13 Oct 25

Bob at 2 Sons Plumbing was amazing! We had a horribly backed up kitchen sink drain and he was able to fix it, and save us some money in the process! He heard what we had to say about our issue and double checked everything. Super friendly and very helpful. Thank you for the amazing work Bob!

Kayla Huitt

16:58 13 Oct 25

Mingmin Zhu

00:31 11 Oct 25

I had great experience with Chase, Riley, Seth, Manu, Nolan with a recent fix. They showed up promptly, transparent about the price upfront, set the expectations right, very professional, got things done perfectly, great communication and very honest and patient to answer all my questions, I will definitely use 2 sons again and will recommend it to my friends and neighbors.

Mingmin Zhu

00:31 11 Oct 25

Arul Menezes

00:41 10 Oct 25

Stellar job by Carey and his team at 2sons today. I had a complex job -- installing a yard hydrant/faucet for a garden across the (private) street. They had to go into the floor of the garage, run piping under the floor, out of the house, across the road. Had to cut into the asphalt, trench down a couple feet, then patch it all up again, including fixing the garage concrete floor. Super job. Looks really clean. Got it all done in a day.

Arul Menezes

00:41 10 Oct 25

First Name

00:04 10 Oct 25

A wonderful experience every time with 2 Sons plumbing. Jake and Angelo helped us with our plumbing issue. They showed up on time and gave a very reasonable estimate for the repair. We ended up replacing a couple of toilets and a part of a sink drain. They came back the next day to complete the work due to our schedule. Excellent communication, prompt, and hard working! Thank you so much Jake and Angelo!! We are very happy with 2 Sons and have used them multiple times.

First Name

00:04 10 Oct 25

Erica G.

00:11 09 Oct 25

Brandon and Ethan were awesome. I had a basic plumbing issue that I was too scared to address myself. They were very non judgmental and provided excellent customer service. I totally recommend 2 Sons Plumbing.

Erica G.

00:11 09 Oct 25